The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-12
NEW SHEEP DISEASE.
Enzoofic OpthsImia Which Rapidly PrU-
dures Total Kindness.


; Prof Grange, of the Agricultural
! College of Michigan. SAYS that last
summer and autumn his attention was
called To peculiar disorder in sheep.
! Ii affects the eyes. and frequently
! leaves total blindness. Although the
disorder will yield To treatment, acute
inflammation often sets in and causes
/ the animal intense suffering.
81 think" the professor says. 1.-The
most appropriate term which can he
applied Ia it, is 'Enzootic Opthaimia;'
for. like other cnzootic diseases, il at
| t;tck> number of animals in certain
| locality. on il may be- confined TO Il sin
/ gle farm. while the term opIhalmia is
now universally applied To certain dis
c:lSr> of the eve, both i'm human and
veterinary medicine. The cause of this
disease. like the cause of many cnIoo-
ties. is still wrapped i'm deep obScurity.
! There are those who Siy it j. the result
! of fatigue. or driving upon dusty roads,
for instance. or exposure la cold after
>hcaring. or indeed .ai any time, and
! that sudden changes of the weather
! are liable to bring on an attack. Al
! though il may Ia true that any debili-
! tating influence. such a. exposure.
/ etc. i liable to render an individual
more susceptible To the complaint, yet L
can not think that they alone will pro-
duce it. Indeed. il seems Ia have no
respect for the condition of the animal,
breed or sex. age or size az other cir
cumstances that ] can suggest. unless
| | take advantage of that now fashion,
able way of accounting for the exist
ence of certain maladicS. and condemn
! il as Il 'malarial trouble:' for il is not
ut all improbable that specific virus
floating in the air. and finding a suita-
ble habitat in some sheep, will perform
its various cccentriciticS.
The complaint i easily recognized,
IA several animal> i'm flock will be-
come suddenly blind without any APP
parent cause. Taking casual look ut
the malady, one can not help being i'm
pressed with the similarity between
this deseasc and pinkcyc in horses; but
closer observation will show with toler-
able certainty that they are two distinct
disorders. On watching the course of
enzootic opthalmia in sheep from day
| to day we find, first of all. that the
sight of the eye, instead of presenting
that bright, gliStcning appearance,
characteristic. of it. will he dull or
Opaque: the eyelids will he inhamed and
| the animal will not De able To tolerate
light. but he constantly blinking: tears
will flow profusely over the cheek, and
there will be more or less discharge (nf
tearS) from the nose. In the course of u
day or two the eyes will appear rcdder
and larger. which condition will often
be accompanied with or followed by
angry looking sos-cs upon the sight.
These are seen sometimes To eat their
way through the eyeball, and allow tho
internal structure of the eye To- escape
that is. the fluid portion; when the
internal structures become involved n
cataract and permanent blindness is
liable TO he the result. This liberation
never occurs in pinkeye in horses that
| am aware of, nor does il i'm mild cases
in the sheep.
THE treatment of this disease should
he both local and constitutional. and
the surroundings of the animal should
also he properly considered. The
affected sheep should be placed by
themselves i'm a comfortable, dry she'd.
well aired, darkened TO prevent
unnecessary irritation from sun
light. The eyes should he
thoroughly fomented with warm
water every day, until the acute
symptoms suhsidc. or say for about
four days. After fomentinS | have
found great benefit from the applica-
ton of weak solution of nitrate of
silver, say about five grains To the
ounce of pure rain or distilled water.
If the eve is liberated touch the ragged
sores with the pure lunar cauStic occa-
siOnally. In applying fluids to the eyes
a few drops may be shaken from the
end of a small vial, or common quill
run through the cork, makes "A con-
yenient way of putting in the medicine.
have also used camel hair brush or
soft feather: either will answer very
well. Of course the attendant will re-
quire an assistant Ia hold the sheep
while the medicine is being applied.
The constitutional treatment may be
directed. first of all, To the bowels, and
if they are not regular, a saline purga-
tive should be given. say EPSON salts.
four ounces dissolved in half pint of
hot water and allowed to cool. About
fOrty-eight hours after the purgative
has done its work. should the infiamma-
ton still remain in the eyes, diuretics
may be given.
E.AmouU others \ hava fnund raliof